The Official PSB Speakers Thread

[callas01]

Riff have you heard PSB speakers before, and I don't mean to ask you what sounds like a dumb question, its just that Klipsch are so bright sounding, and going to PSB a warmer laid back speaker... just want to make sure you know what to expect so you aren't disappointed.

Personally I love PSB, Energy, Dali and other warmer speakers. I am not a fan of brighter, in your face speaker.... Although I do respect other speakers for their sound and dynamics, don't get me wrong.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by callas01

Riff have you heard PSB speakers before, and I don't mean to ask you what sounds like a dumb question, its just that Klipsch are so bright sounding, and going to PSB a warmer laid back speaker... just want to make sure you know what to expect so you aren't disappointed.

Personally I love PSB, Energy, Dali and other warmer speakers. I am not a fan of brighter, in your face speaker.... Although I do respect other speakers for their sound and dynamics, don't get me wrong.

i heard some used ones at a place called Marvin Electronics in Ft.Worth, but i can't remember the model. I know they weren't Images. They sounded great though. I'm gonna check the images out, but i'll have to drive to Dallas. I like my Klipsch, but i wanna change/upgrade. I only paid $250 for the pair so i made out pretty good. Might even be able to sell them to my buddy and get my money back.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

i heard some used ones at a place called Marvin Electronics in Ft.Worth, but i can't remember the model. I know they weren't Images. They sounded great though. I'm gonna check the images out, but i'll have to drive to Dallas. I like my Klipsch, but i wanna change/upgrade. I only paid $250 for the pair so i made out pretty good. Might even be able to sell them to my buddy and get my money back.

Cool, I just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna blindly buy something you haven't heard because they look cool, esp. when your experience is on the other end of the sound spectrum... I like PSBs. I believe I heard the T55 once, I know they were Images though... Big speakers. The Alpha series is good too, that is their low end line, I do like the Energy C series better then the Alphas tho. Obviously.

I would love to hear the New Image series, to see if there is a difference with the new clay-ceramic woofers, and the Imagine series as well... I would love to hear the Platinums too, I am sure that would be a treat. But my local PSB dealer is not high-end place. Well, they do have the KEF XQs, so I guess they are high-end..

Have fun in Dallas....

[Riff Magnum]

Cool. Thanks Callus.
Yeah, i just need to find something the wife would like if i'm gonna spend the cash on something so frivolous. I prefer the wood look as well.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Cool. Thanks Callus.
Yeah, i just need to find something the wife would like if i'm gonna spend the cash on something so frivolous. I prefer the wood look as well.

my wife and I have an agreement, if I sell what I have, then I can get something new.... which is nice, because I may be selling my Sony Receiver, so I may be able to get the Marantz 5003 that I really want....

I am not the biggest fan of the new Energy C series,.... so depending on what they do to the RC series PSB will be in my sights as a possible future replacement. Of course, I think Dali has my heart first and foremost http://www.dali.dk/display_content.p.../speakers.html

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Cool. Thanks Callus.
Yeah, i just need to find something the wife would like if i'm gonna spend the cash on something so frivolous. I prefer the wood look as well.

Hey Riff! Whats your budget? PSBs offer GREAT bang for your buck. The last generation excelled at this but the new Image line makes them even more performance and value oriented (lots of technology trickled down from their higher end lines). I suggest you put a little more money toward the fronts and less for the surrounds, so look into getting new images for the fronts (T5 and C5), and then get the Image S50 for surrounds to save a little $. Pair all this with a good sub (martin logan dynamo is on sale at amazon for about 50% off) and youll have an AWESOME, reasonably priced system that will fight off your urge to upgrade for MANY years to come.

well respected vendors to bargain with to get the best deal:

http://www.saturdayaudio.com/
https://dmc-electronics.com/Default.htm

[Riff Magnum]

My budget is.................undetermined.
Basically, when i have the cash i'll pull the trigger. I know it's gonna cost me anywhere from $1500-$2000 for the 5 speakers and i'm fine with that. What i'm hoping is that by the time i have the money saved, the newer image lines will have come down a bit or i can find a set used on ebay or audiogon. I have a Martin logan Mk sub that has a down firing 12" woofer and a front firing 12" woofer, so i'm covered there.
The real question is what to do about amplification. Like alot of people i'm teetering on the separates vs. AVR question. Still not sure on that front.

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

My budget is.................undetermined.
Basically, when i have the cash i'll pull the trigger. I know it's gonna cost me anywhere from $1500-$2000 for the 5 speakers and i'm fine with that. What i'm hoping is that by the time i have the money saved, the newer image lines will have come down a bit or i can find a set used on ebay or audiogon. I have a Martin logan Mk sub that has a down firing 12" woofer and a front firing 12" woofer, so i'm covered there.
The real question is what to do about amplification. Like alot of people i'm teetering on the separates vs. AVR question. Still not sure on that front.

Hey you should be able to get the front three and the S50s for about $1550.
20% off MSRP for the fronts is pretty much a given ($1019). Then DMC has the S50s for $529. As for the receiver, just get a good quality mid range one such as the Yamaha 663/655 or onkyo 606/607. Any of these will make the Images sing!

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by PSB_Paradigm_HSU

Hey you should be able to get the front three and the S50s for about $1550.
20% off MSRP for the fronts is pretty much a given ($1019). Then DMC has the S50s for $529. As for the receiver, just get a good quality mid range one such as the Yamaha 663/655 or onkyo 606/607. Any of these will make the Images sing!

If i didn't go the separates route i was actually thinking about a marantz 5002 or 5003. I see refurbs in the $300-$500 range. I'm pretty sure 90x7 watts could push the images given the sensitivity rating. Might even be a good idea to biamp the fronts just in case, or at least give it a little extra for two channel music listening.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by PSB_Paradigm_HSU

Hey you should be able to get the front three and the S50s for about $1550.
20% off MSRP for the fronts is pretty much a given ($1019). Then DMC has the S50s for $529. As for the receiver, just get a good quality mid range one such as the Yamaha 663/655 or onkyo 606/607. Any of these will make the Images sing!

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

If i didn't go the separates route i was actually thinking about a marantz 5002 or 5003. I see refurbs in the $300-$500 range. I'm pretty sure 90x7 watts could push the images given the sensitivity rating. Might even be a good idea to biamp the fronts just in case, or at least give it a little extra for two channel music listening.

I pretty sure the Images are 6 ohm speakers, right? I don't think the Yamahas or Onkyos listed do a good job with 6 ohm speakers from what I have read. I would say if you get a Yamaha, then do like PSB_Paradigm and make sure you have an amp for them to get the proper power... Otherwise I would stick to a truer receiver like the Marantz you pointed out or a Denon. JMO.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by callas01

I pretty sure the Images are 6 ohm speakers, right? I don't think the Yamahas or Onkyos listed do a good job with 6 ohm speakers from what I have read. I would say if you get a Yamaha, then do like PSB_Paradigm and make sure you have an amp for them to get the proper power... Otherwise I would stick to a truer receiver like the Marantz you pointed out or a Denon. JMO.

How would i find out if the Marantz is capable of handling a 6ohm load?

[callas01]

http://us.marantz.com/SR6004-5004_U_EN.pdf

115w in 6 ohms

Oops, go to page 92, bottom left

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

How would i find out if the Marantz is capable of handling a 6ohm load?

People get too weird about impedence. I wouldn't worry much about it, especially at 6ohms and good efficiency.

http://www.audioholics.com/education...r-or-amplifier

I would look for a receiver with the truest power ratings and preouts. I would be looking at the Marantz, you will probably wind up wanting external amplification regardless, so preouts is a must.

[callas01]

Jason, my point is if a mid-range receiver is only putting out 28-42 watts per channel on an 8 ohm speaker, then what strain is that on the receiver at 6 ohms? Your right, I would be looking for truer power rating also, thus the Marantz... as well.

[JasonR]

The wattage output would increase as the impedance decreases. It would just put more strain on the receiver to get there.

This graph shows that the RX-V663’s left channel, from Multi input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads continuously at 1 kHz, reached 0.1% distortion at 166.7 watts and 1% distortion at 190.7 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reached 0.1% distortion at 218.0 watts and 1% distortion at 245.9 watts.

http://www.ultimateavmag.com/avrecei...63/index7.html

3 of my 6ohm channels are being driven by this receiver with no issues. I do hope to amplify the rest of the channels, that is just because I want more power. That said, the Marantz would be my first choice. Just because of better power ratings.

[Big Daddy]

Technically speaking, the current increases when the impedance drops and not the power (watts). As a result of the increase in current, more work will be done and more power will be generated.

[JasonR]

Right you are. I didn't want to be the one to whip out Ohm's Law.

[Riff Magnum]

So, the consensus is that a marantz avr with 90watts per channel would be fine/compatible with those images, but, like everything else, i will eventually want more/bigger/better?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

So, the consensus is that a marantz avr with 90watts per channel would be fine/compatible with those images, but, like everything else, i will eventually want more/bigger/better?

Then you can add an amp to the marantz and get more/bigger/better.....

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

So, the consensus is that a marantz avr with 90watts per channel would be fine/compatible with those images, but, like everything else, i will eventually want more/bigger/better?

Of course I would go with Marantz over yamaha and onkyo, just was suggesting with budget in mind. But I ran PSB Image B25s (6 ohms) with the yamaha 663 for awhile before I got the imagines (4 ohms) and they sounded GREAT! No noticeable problems that I could tell (no overheating either). So if I still had the B25s I would not have gotten the EMOTIVA, never once thought I needed more power.